"Chipmunks" help revive movie soundtracks

By Ann Donahue

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - For years, the soundtrack business was a sleepy corner of the industry.

Apart from the occasional standout hit -- think "Titanic" -- most compilation soundtracks seemed irrelevant. But of late, a reawakening has occurred, and Robert Kraft, as president of Fox Music, has been on the front lines. Three of Fox's soundtracks reside in the top 10 of Billboard's Top Soundtracks chart: "Alvin and the Chipmunks" at No. 1, "Juno" at No. 2 and "Once" at No. 7.

Kraft, who released two albums as a solo artist and two as part of a band, Robert Kraft & the Ivory Coast, was nominated for the 1993 Academy Award for best song alongside Arne Glimcher for "Beautiful Maria of My Soul" from "The Mambo Kings."

He has been an executive on the Fox lot for almost 15 years, supervising the music for all of the studio's projects on the film and TV side, including "Moulin Rouge!" "Walk the Line" and "Titanic"; for TV, he oversees the music for "24," "Family Guy" and "The Simpsons," among others.

It's a career that has survived the ups and downs of the music industry, but the recent resurgence in his soundtracks has even taken him by surprise. What does he suspect is the secret to soundtrack success? Two words: Singing chipmunks.

YOU'VE SEEN THE SOUNDTRACKS TO "ONCE," "JUNO" AND "ALVIN &

THE CHIPMUNKS" TAKE OFF IN RECENT WEEKS. IS THERE SOME COMMON

THREAD THAT LINKS THESE MOVIES THAT HAS MADE THEM SUCCESSFUL?